Grain-measuring machine



J.M.LAMB.

GRAIN MEASURING MACHINE.

Paten-ted Mar. 18,1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JESSE M. LAMB, OF FRANKLIN, INDIANA.

GRAIN-ME'ASURING NIACHiNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters-Patent No. 379,231. dated March 13, 1888.

Application tiled July 2S, 1.887. Serial No. 245, 503. (No model.)

4To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, JESSE M. LAMB, a citizen of the United States, residing at Franklin,

. in the county of lVayne and State of Indiana,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Measuring Machines; and I declare hereby that the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains, to make and use the same.

My invention relates to and consists of a device adapted to be attached to elevators,th rashing-machines, Src.. where it is desired to measure and register automatically the grain passing through. The objects are to provide a device which shall be efficient, simple in construction, and easy to apply and operate.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical section near the center of my device. Fig. 2 is an edge view of the complete machine. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached view of the registering device.

a represents the body or casing of the Ineasuring device, to which are attached the different operating parts. Said casing is made of any suitable material.

b is acentral wall dividing the inclosed space into two separate chambers, A and B. The walls of these chambers, opposite this central division, b, on either side, are formed at the lower part of the chamber by b' and b2, respectively, which are fixed parts of the casing. and above these parts these walls are formed by the angular pressure-plates d and ci', respectively,which are preferably of the shape show n, and hinged to thecasing at 1l, and are held in an upright position by springs e, which are secured to said plates at L at the lower ends and at their upper ends to screwsf, which pass f through projectionsj", and are provided with thumb-nut g, by which they are held and the tension of spring regulated to the proper strain required. At7 and 8 are secured movably to these pressure-plates the upper ends of each of levers Z and Z', which are jointed at their lower ends to levers fm and m', respectively, as seen at 5 and 6, which latter levers resemble a bell-crank in general shape, having one arm each movably secured to casing at 3 and 4, respectively. At 9 and 10 the remaining arm of either of these levers is loosely jointed to keepers n and u', respectively, which are jointed to casing atl and 2, respectively. At

vr and r these keepers are supplied with shoulders, each of which is adapted to catch under the outer end of the respective wing of tilting plate k, which forms the bottom alternately of ceedsupwardly connecting-rod c to crank p,

which is secured to the axis of cut-oft' valvej, by which the latteris'operated. Near its center, on disk E, are attached movably pawls w and w', so formed as to coact with graduated I disk or dial D, and so located as to act alternately, w' being pointed,and w provided with a tooth of such shape as to register with the teeth on dial, so that at each motion of disk E in either direction the dial is turned one tooth forward.

To the bottom of casing is attached hopper s,provided at its lower end with hookstt t t,or any suitable means, for holding sacks when it is desired to sack the grain as it passes through the machine.

The operation of the device is as follows: The grain is conducted into the upwardly-projecting neck C of casing a, which former forms the chamber embracing the cut-off valvej, and falls into the chamber A upon the bottom, which is formed by wing k2 of plate 7c, iilling this chambergradually until it is filled as high as, or nearly, the point d', when the pressure of the grain against and upon the inner side of pressure-plate d gradually overcomes the initial tension of spring e, attached to said plate, forcing it outwardly and elongating said spring until all the moving parts connected with the plate as well as itself are in the respective positions shown by broken lines d2, Z2, mi, and n2, the

its highest point, through the action of spring e. At the same time the plate 7c is actuated the cut-oft` valve j is also thrown to the opposite position. (Shown by brokeulinesj.) Thusit will be seen that the iiowiug grain will be conducted to the chamber B and operating the same on this side, While as the grain flows from the chamber A the moving parts from pressureplate d/ to keeper n are brought back to their normal position by the action of spring e. At the same time that the tilting plate moves, the disk E moving therewith, the dial D is also moved one tooth, and the pawls lw and w being held firmly against the teeth of dial by spring fu, it is imposible for the tilting plate to change position without it being registered by the movement of the dial. lThus it will be seen that the operation of the ma chine is entirely automatic, thereby saving the labor of one or more hands when the grain in transit is to be sacked, as is nearly always the case in thrashing. Again, very ol'ten disputes might be resorted to in the construct-ion, form, and arrangement of the different relative parts of my invention without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe same; hence I desireit to be understood that l f'eel myself at liberty to make any such changes as I may desire that shall fall fairly within the limits of such scope.

Having fully described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In an automatic grain measuring and registering machine, the combination of a spring, e, and pressureplate d. with levers Z m, and keeper a and tilting plate le, all adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In an automatic grain measuring and registering machine` casing a', cutoff Valvej, rod c, tilting plate ls, pressure-plate d, spring e, adjusting-serewsf, levers Z and m, keeper a, dial D, pawls w and rw', springe, and disk E, all combined substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, this 23d day of July, 1887, in the presence of witnesses.

J ESSE M. LAMB. lVituesses:

J. L. GLAPPER, JoHN M. Moizms. 

